The Persistence of Memory (Dali, 1931)

Salvador Dali painted The Persistence of Memory in just two hours in 1931, depicting melting pocket watches in a dreamlike Catalan landscape. The 24 x 33 cm oil on canvas, now permanently displayed at MoMA in New York, was inspired by Dali's vision of a piece of Camembert cheese melting in the summer heat. The painting sold for $29.9 million in 1999 and its iconic drooping clocks have been reproduced on more merchandise than any other Surrealist work in history.